Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts
24 February – 15 March 2026
7 March 2026
Michael Fowler Centre
Silver Scroll-winning Māori artist Rob Ruha and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra are joining forces for TEIWA. Here's your chance to experience everything from you’d hear on the to exhilarating stadium anthems, The music of Aotearoa is sure to comes to life in a performance of tribal futurism that ignites the senses. Special guests TOA (Te Taumata O Apanui) will bring the unmistakable power of to the stage. The Michael Fowler Centre will be bursting with musical confluences and .
The NZSO and Rob Ruha will premiere new waiata at the event. Audiences will also hear Ruha’s most loved tracks that will have the whole house moving. After a sell-out Matariki performance with the Auckland Philharmonia, this ‘mighty celebration’ (The New Zealand Herald) is sure to be a programme highlight of Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
24 February – 15 March 2026
12 – 14 March 2026St James Theatre
13 – 15 March 2026The Opera House
27 February – 1 March 2026The Opera House
15 March 2026Michael Fowler Centre
10 April 2026Wellington Waterfront
14 - 18 October 2026
8 March 2026Newtown
Tanea Heke has been a driving force in Aotearoa’s creative sector for decades. Her career spans acting, producing, arts management, and education. She shares her picks for the upcoming Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.
A deeper dive into the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts programme reveals more performance treasures.